APC, UNIBEN employees threaten strike over salaries

http://ift.tt/2mGqs4b

UNIBEN

UI workers down tools
Workers at the national headquarters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may have concluded arrangement to have it tough with the management over alleged salary arrears if feelers are anything to go by.

The development comes on the heels of yesterday’s resumption of office by President Muhammadu Buhari after more than 50-day medical vacation in the United Kingdom. Sources said the financial paucity might not be unconnected with the recession in the country worsened by dwindling oil receipts.

Findings indicated that the workers were being owed February and part of December 2016 salaries.

Efforts to reach the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, for comments were futile, as he was to be out of Abuja. But a senior official who craved anonymity, however, denied the claims.

Besides, the University of Benin (UNIBEN) branch of the Academic Staff Union of the (ASUU) threatened a work-to-rule action over the alleged non-payment of full salary for the month of February to its members.

It was gathered that the union had at the end of its last congress issued a one-week ultimatum in this respect. The warning elapsed last Friday.

Reacting to the development, the Public Relations Officer, Michael Osasuyi, said activities were going on uninterrupted at the institution, adding that the Prof. Faraday Orumwense-led administration was committed to improving staff welfare.

Also yesterday, non-academic activities were grounded at the University of Ibadan as workers of the institution began a one-week warning strike to force the management to accede to their demands.

The affected unions, Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU); National Association of Academic Technicians (NAAT) and Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), are protesting against alleged illegal deductions of pensions and shortfall in their emoluments.

The chapter ASUU chairman, Dr. Deji Omole, urged members to endure the hardship, adding that the request to embark on same action was being considered by the union’s national headquarters.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2mGfkEs

Church urges use of recovered loots to generate employment

http://ift.tt/2lVTpbZ

Church Administrator, Laughter Foundation Cathedral, Benedict Osuagwu (left); General Overseer of the church, Gbenga Oso and Administrative Officer, Rotimi Adesipe, during a press conference on the church’s 20th anniversary in Lagos… yesterday.<br />

The General Overseer, Laughter Foundation Cathedral, Pastor Gbenga Oso, has appealed to the Federal Government to use the recovered money from corruption to create employment for millions of unemployed Nigerians, particularly the youths.

The cleric, while briefing the media yesterday on the 20th anniversary of the church scheduled to hold on March 12, 2017 at its headquarters in Oregun, Lagos, expressed concern over the rising rate of unemployment in the country.

He advised the government to urgently put the recovered money into use for the benefit of the people.

According to him: “Economic recession has placed millions of Nigerians in hardship and the situation is being worsened by the high rate of unemployment across the country.

“We should be prayerful to God for a divine intervention in the crisis confronting the nation.

“For the Church, recession is never a threat because its financial base is divine. No recession can stop the Church from achieving whatever it wishes to achieve.”

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2lVSrfT

FG okays N701b to boost electricity supply

http://ift.tt/2lEB3t4

Electricity

Generation now 4,000mw
The Federal Government has approved N701 billion as Power Assurance Guarantee for the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) Company.

NBET is the government’s owned company which buys power from the GenCos.

The money, which will be made available by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), is to guarantee the payment for the evacuation of power produced by Generating Companies (GenCos) to the national grid.

Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola who disclosed this yesterday in the Abuja said that the amount will be drawn on monthly basis in order to tackle liquidity challenges faced by GenCos.

Briefing State House Correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, Fashola explained that part of the liquidity problem faced by GenCos is the inability to pay gas suppliers.

Flanked by the ministers of Information, Lai Mohammed and that of Agriculture, Audu Ogbe, Fashola explained that NBET would pay GenCos in arrears of electricity generated as a deliberate step to improve their confidence and that of intending investors into the sector.

“What we seek to achieve here is to bring some stability to the production side of the power value chain and also give confidence to investors who want to come in, who are concerned about how to recover their money.’’

According to the minister, the approval of council is to provide guarantee for NBET which is a 100 percent government owned company “to pay on a monthly basis its obligations for energy actually produced on to the grid to the GenCos that are its customers.”

He said power supply, which dropped to a little over 2000 megawatts, has increased to 4000 megawatts.

“It’s back now at over 4000 megawatts. We have solved the transmission problem in Ikot Ekpene largely to evacuate over a thousand. But the gas suppliers were being owed so they were not supplying gas for the power producers.

“As to the quantum of the guarantee, it is for two years from January this year to December 2018.’’

Fashola said he also briefed the cabinet on the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) status of the Second Niger Bridge and Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

The two Federal Government projects are uncompleted but the FEC resolved that the PPP arrangement will continue to be pursued.

Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, said the FEC approved the sum of N263 million for three research institutions to produce gum arabic seedlings for Nigerian farmers and for export.

Gum Arabic is a major crop in the northern part of the country, stretching from Borno to Zamfara, adding that 17 of those states will grow the seedlings for export.

He said Nigeria earned $43 million from export of gum arabic last year, and that more will be earned with increased production, especially as the commodity is in high demand in other countries.

Ogbeh disclosed that similar efforts are on by the authorities to boost cassava production.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2lBcVbl

‘Hate speeches pose threat to ruling party, government’

http://ift.tt/2l64pjn

President Muhammadu Buhari

Leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) must have come to grasp with the reality that the party is gradually losing the goodwill, confidence and support of most Nigerians that gave it victory in the 2015 general elections.

This is coupled with the volume of hate speeches and political propaganda currently enveloping the nation through the social media and other online news portals.

In less than four months to the two years anniversary of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, Nigerians have experienced the worst form of economic hardship, which include the galloping rate of inflation, economic recession, challenging state of insecurity, prevailing unemployment and inability of government and private sector to pay workers salaries.

The situation is made worse by the persistent fall in the value of the naira among others.Worried by the development and the nose-diving popularity of the ruling party and the Buhari administration, the party’s national publicity secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi pleaded with Nigerians not to despair “as they would not be disappointed, if they understand what the present government policies and programs are.”

Fielding questions from journalists yesterday, at the ‘Social Media Week’ organised by Bethphage LLC in Lagos, he pleaded for understanding from Nigerians.

Similarly, a Commissioner of the Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace, Mr. Abdul Ajilola, said the solution to hate speech is the people. “It is all about morality and there is no religion that teaches anyone to ‘backbite’ or fabricate stories. We grew up to know that pictures don’t lie but nowadays I don’t think it is so again.”

He warned Nigerians to be careful so that hate speech doe not lead the country to conflict, stressing that cyberspace provides terrorists with tools, medium and target and they use the tool to recruit their target.

Abdullahi said it is natural for people to complain when facing hardship situation as presently being experienced, but noted that with the understanding of government programmes, hope is inevitable.

He said: “I will always take cognizance of whatever I may receive as feedback from the people as a guide to the appropriate quarters”.Speaking on the theme: ‘The new Language of Technology: The Future of Communication in Africa’, the APC spokesperson described the last electioneering campaign as the most shameful in the history of the country where the two major parties engaged in statements that depicted hatred, hinting of effort to change the trend.

“The two major parties – Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and APC are guilty of misused of words in the 2015 elections. At that time, they said things to themselves in an unbelievable manner of hatred as if we were fighting war. This was the first thing I complained about when I became the spokesperson. And I warned the party that we must desist from this trend as a ruling party”.

Abdullahi said ‘hate speech’ as statement of ‘hatred’ must be tackled. “Hate Speech’ is a very pertinent issue that needs to be addressed in our country. We also need to do this such that it will make our upcoming generation to imbibe the culture of the rule of engagement.“The society worry about hate speech in the context of what it can cause. And every conflict or war started with hate speech”.

He suggested education as the best way to engage one another in changing the trend of hate speech and urged Nigerians to guard against hate speech even when they appreciate the fact that “the oxygen of democracy is free speech.”

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2lmTaDy

Akwa Ibom to commission first pencil factory in Nigeria

http://ift.tt/2lUjNl9

Pencil

In line with its industrialisation drive, Akwa Ibom State government has concluded plans to commission the pioneer pencil factory in the country.
The factory which has been producing tooth pick, is a wholly-owned Akwa Ibom State government company amd was floated in 2015 under the Akwa Ibom Enterprises and Employment Scheme (AKEES), an initiative aimed at re-awakening the spirit of enterprise among youths and position them to benefit from the industrialisation programme of the state government.

The Administrative and Utility Manager of the factory, Miss. Nsisiong Umoh said that though the factory is currently on a test run with a staff strength of over 60, all drawn from AKEES database, it has been producing for two months now.

According to her, the factory produces about 4000/5000 pencils daily, 25000 weekly and 100,000 per month currently.She said the firm’s production capacity will increase drastically when the factory is commissioned later in the year.

Umoh added that government’s plan is to also build pen, matches and sagged bag factories within the premises, thereby creating more employment opportunities for the teeming youths in the state.

She said although the factory is yet to start selling its products, so many companies have already indicated interest to act as their marketers/distributors.

While commending Governor Udom Emmanuel for making her and thousands of Akwa Ibom youths self-dependent, she said that she is optimistic that in few years from now, the State will be a major exporter of many products.

The Coordinator of AKEES, Elder Ufot Ebong who also is the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Technical Mattes and Due Process noted that the pencil and tooth pick factory has received orders from the Sokoto State government to supply 1444,000 pencils every three months.

It could be recalled that the Federal government had set 2020 as the date for the production of pencils instead of importing same, but Akwa Ibom State through AKEES, has taken the bold step to beat that date by producing pencils and crayons earlier than the set date.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2lRkSf4

Anambra guber poll, APC converts and failed ambitions

http://ift.tt/2lvdlmk

Andy Uba

The defection of the Senator representing Anambra South senatorial district, Andy Uba, has triggered up a whole lot of issues, particularly on the forthcoming governorship election in the state. Before his cross over, speculations had been rife that the Senator would contest the governorship on the PDP platform. It was taken as a given fact that the PDP ticket was his to reject.
   
However, shortly after APC marked its first year in office and following the challenges in PDP, words started making the rounds in Anambra and beyond that the second-term Senator was planning to defect to the APC. While some dismissed the possibility, others, particularly those who knew how close the senator is to the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, got excited, saying that that would make his anticipated journey to Awka Government House, easier.

But his entry has become a subject of worry to most of his allies in Anambra. Among his followership, there is apprehension that a similar fate that befell Senator Uche Lilly Ekwunife, who was stopped short of clinching the APC ticket for Anambra Central Senatorial re-run election, may become the lot of their political leader.

Within APC, those angling for the governorship ticket have shown some subdued misgivings about the senator’s admittance. Governorship aspirants are apprehensive that with Andy Uba’s presence, the competition for the ticket would be stiff.
   
During the recent membership registration exercise in the state, the Senator was said to have mobilized funds and logistics for the smooth operation of the exercise, such that in each of the over 317 wards of the state, the impact of his gesture was felt.
   
The gesture however did not go down well with some aspirants and members, who expressed the fear that such gestures could tilt the party’s flag towards him. Perhaps based on the growing apprehension that the ticket must have been settled for Uba, national auditor of the APC, Dr. George Muoghalu, informed The Guardian that the party’s governorship ticket was not for the highest bidder, stressing that loyalty must have its reward.       
  
Although Uba could not be said to have defected from PDP merely to contest the governorship, investigations by The Guardian revealed that a lot of political schemes were behind the senator’s defection. He had told journalists in Uga shortly after his registration in the ward chapter of APC that he was motivated to join the party because of its ideological focus and the pedigree of some of its leaders like Senator Chris Ngige, minister of Labour and Employment and Muoghalu, the national auditor of the party.
   
Sources within the PDP disclosed that frustration with the leadership crisis and overtures by APC, were the major reasons why the Senator left PDP and joined APC. Also, an ally of Uba, Edozie Okafor, claimed that since the PDP leaders refused his suggestion that Senator Ali Modu Sheriff should be allowed three months to exit the party, the Senator has been uncomfortable with the party.
  
“During the caucus discussions at the PDP convention in Port Harcourt, Andy had pleaded with party leaders to give Sheriff a soft-landing, by allowing him to serve as acting chairman for three months after which a new chairman would be elected instead of setting up a caretaker committee.
 
According to him, the fear that PDP crisis might not be resolved before the Anambra governorship election and the likelihood of a repeat of what happened in Ondo State compelled the Senator “to succumb to pressures to join APC.”
  
Okafor disclosed that prior to the failed PDP convention in Port Harcourt; some national leaders of APC had been making overtures to Uba, assuring him that APC will address the injustice he suffered in the hands of PDP over the Anambra governorship ticket. He said: “They reminded him that having won the party ticket before the Supreme Court nullified the 2007 election in Anambra State, PDP ought to have allowed him an automatic ticket in 2010, instead of going for another candidate.”
  
The first hint of Uba joining APC emerged last year when President Muhammadu Buhari presented the 2017 Appropriation Bill to the joint session of the National Assembly at the Senate chambers. Sources maintained that while he was being ushered out of the Senate chambers, Buhari, holding the Senator’s hand, told the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, allegedly to the hearing of some lawmakers that “this is the man we want to help us hold Anambra State.”
    
The rumours of his defection to APC prompted a meeting of South East caucus of PDP in the Senate with the Senator in a bid to dissuade him from leaving the party.
  
Some lawmakers were also said to have pleaded with the influential Senator to delay his defection until such a time it would be apparent that PDP has lost every opportunity to mend fences. But matters were said to have come to a head when the senator’s younger brother, Chris, purportedly started lobbying APC stalwarts in Anambra to ensure that the senator does not join the party.
  
One of the APC chieftains that the younger Uba was said to have met was the national auditor of the party, who is also one of the top contenders for the APC governorship ticket in Anambra. Apart from assuring Muoghalu of moral, technical and financial support for the governorship, the Senator’s brother was said to have urged the APC chieftain to “do all things in your power to stop Andy from joining APC.”
  
The Guardian gathered that the so called brag by his younger brother that he had blocked APC, provoked the Senator to rebuff the pleas by PDP bigwigs not to leave. Muoghalu explained that no genuine member of a political party would stop others from joining the party, stressing that a political party is like a church, which admits members and allows anyone to leave.
 
Nonetheless, APC members in the state asserted that the encouragement given to Uba and others to cross over was actually a measure to ensure that the road to the state Government House is smooth and easier for the party by depleting the rival parties and not necessarily to give them the ticket.

According to the members who pleaded anonymity, it would be practically impossible to concede the governorship slot to the latter day entrants when persons who have been there and have actually laboured to keep the party are sidelined.

“A tree does not make a forest, this governorship issue is a collective agenda and if the majority supports anyone, so be it. But I must let you know that nobody will just walk in last minute and assume that the slot has been reserved for him or her,” a member stated.
 
Speaking on the effects of Uba’s exit from PDP, the state chairman of the party, Prince Ken Emeakayi said that PDP remains relevant in the state.
Of the three senators elected on the platform of PDP in 2015, only Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah, is yet to defect to APC, while Dr. Tony Nwoye is the only PDP member of the House of Representatives that has left the party.    

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2lmT6DH

Court adjourns senior advocate case of falsification, gratification to May 16

http://ift.tt/2l6tBIe

A Lagos High Court, Igbosere, Lagos yesterday has adjourned till May 16, the trial of Mr Rickey Tarfa (SAN), for alleged age falsification and offering of gratification to a public officer.

Justice Adedayo Akintoye, adjourned the case at the instance of a letter written by prosecution counsel to EFCC, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, to the court proposing the continuation of the trial on three dates – one in March and two in April – one of which falls on a public holiday and the other Saturday.

At the resumption of proceedings yesterday, Justice Akintoye informed defence counsel Ade Adedeji (SAN) that Oyedepo, who was absent, had
written to the court to seek an adjournment of trial.

It will be recalled that, Tarfa is standing trial on a 27-count charge pressed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC).

Oyedepo’s letter, which was shown to Adedeji, informed the court that he had received a hearing notice from the Court of Appeal, Lagos
summoning him to appear in a matter scheduled for yesterday morning.

He suggested that the previously scheduled dates, including yesterday’s, be vacated and that the trial be shifted to March 30,April 14 and 15.

Adedeji, who expressed surprise at the dates, observed that April 14 was Good Friday – a national public holiday – and that April 15 was
Saturday, a weekend.

“Two of the suggested dates fall on a public holiday and a weekend,” he said.He proposed a date in May and Justice Akintoye adjourned the case till May 16, 17 and 18 for continuation of trial.

The EFCC arraigned Tarfa on March 10, 2016 on a 27-count charge which was subsequently amended to 26 counts bordering on alleged willful obstruction of its authorised officers, refusal to declare assets and giving false information to a public officer.

The agency also alleged, among others, that the lawyer offered N5.3million gratification to Justice Hyeladzira Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court, Lagos in order to compromise the judge.

The commission claimed that Tarfa transferred the money in several tranches to Justice Nganjiwa between June 27, 2012 and December 23, 2014.He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2lRhr7W

Lagos restates commitment to vibrant ICT

http://ift.tt/2ltpetn

ICT

The Lagos State Government yesterday restated its commitment to vibrant Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), describing it as vital in reshaping the world’s economies, governments and societies.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Balogun, who disclosed this at a meeting with Information Communication Technology (ICT) Officers in different Ministries, Departments and Agencies, said technological progress is a driving force behind economic growth and citizen engagement.

According to her, ICT has an important role to play, adding that Public officials, businesses, and citizens can harness the transformative power of ICTs to provide more efficient services, catalyze economic growth, and strengthen social communication.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2ltxzgI

Banks, fintech partnership key to drive financial inclusion, says expert

http://ift.tt/2m018Db

As financial technology (FinTech) gradually seeps into the growth strategies of traditional banks, expert have expressed concern that the two components would need to work together in order to drive financial inclusion in the sector.

The basis for this concern is stemmed from the global best practices where Fintech, the term coined for financial services technology, has become an extremely fast-growing industry worldwide. Its growth has enabled banks in Europe and the US to innovate and develop products to suit customers’ lifestyles.

According to Sola Fanawopo, MD/CEO of eMaginations, and organizer of Ennovators Breakfast Series (EBS), Nigeria is not an exception in the FinTech upsurge.

He said the global investment in FinTech is reported to have reached as high as $80 billion between 2010 and 2016. “For some time after the global and local financial crisis, traditional banks have laid emphasis on regaining customers’ trust. I am happy that banks have realised the potential of FinTech and are now slowly joining the startups in the race. That is why it is heartening to know that a Nigerian call itself FinTech bank”.

He explained that in large part, FinTech firms are becoming “disruptors” for good, and that the secret to maintaining the banking industry is to nurture the startups through which new technology is birthed. To grow the banking industry, he asked, “Should banks engage FinTechs for competitive advantage, should banks build, partners or acquire FinTechs?”

According to him, bank chiefs and FinTech founders such as Muhammad Jibrin, MD/CEO, of SunTrust Bank, Yele Okeremi, MD/CEO of Precise Financial Systems, John Obaro, MD/CEO of Systemspecs and Uzoma Dozie, Group MD/CEO, Diamond Bank, would join other speakers at the Oriental Hotel, venue of EBS in March to examine how banks and FinTech should relate.

“This edition of EBS will examine if the banks and FinTechs are friends or foes”, he said.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2lZDnuQ

EFCC re-arraigns Atuche, Ojo over alleged fraud (Read full details)

http://ift.tt/2l41iKy

EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday re-arraigned two former Managing Directors of Bank PHB Plc (now Keystone Bank Plc) and the defunct Spring Bank Plc, Mr. Francis Atuche and Mr. Charles Ojo, before a Federal High Court in Lagos.

The accused are facing 45- count charges bordering on fraud and sundry financial crimes.The re-arraignment of the two former bank chiefs was sequel to the transfer of the former trial judge, Justice Saliu Saidu, to Port-Harcourt, Rivers State Division of the court.

Consequently, Atuche and Ojo are being re-arraigned before Justice Ayokunle Faji, who is the fifth judge to handle the matter.After the re-arraignment, the EFCC prosecutor, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), told the court that he had tendered 65 documents as evidence in the case before the former trial judge and still has additional 110 documents to tender.

He also asked for a quick trial of the matter, which he said, had been in court since 2007. He added that the prosecution was at risk of memory loss of some of the witnesses intended to call in the matter.

However, an attempt by Pinheiro in urging the court to give the two defendants new bail conditions, was unsuccessful.Atuche’s counsel, Chief Anthony Idigbe (SAN), represented by Mr. Kanu Okorie and Mr. Osahon Idemudia, representing the second defendant, passionately pleaded with the court to allow their clients continue with the bail conditions earlier granted by the first trial judge, Justice Akinjide Ajakaiye.

Ajakaiye had admitted them to bail in the sum of N20 million with one surety in the same sum, who must be a property owner in Victoria Island, Ikoyi and GRA Ikeja, all high-brow areas of Lagos.

Faji, in his ruling, ordered the two defendants to continue with the earlier bail terms granted them by Ajakaiye, but ordered that the surety must swear to an affidavit of still being their surety in the next 14 days.The matter has been adjourned till February 23 and March 16 -17, 2017.

Vía Uzomedia http://ift.tt/2lIEHpV

‘We have minimised crimes in South-East’ (Read full details)

http://ift.tt/2khYWup

Nigerian Army

The Army said at the weekend that it has rid the South-East of crimes through its ember months Operation Python Dance in the zone.

General Officer Commanding 82 Division, Enugu, Maj.-Gen. Adamu Abubakar, who stated this during the 2016 West African Social Activities (WASA) held in the city, stated that the army would consolidate on the gains of the exercise to rid other areas of her operations of crimes.

WASA is a yearly event of the army where officers, soldiers, their families and friends socially interact in a relaxed atmosphere. It is also conducted to mark the end of an eventful year and herald the beginning of a new one.

Abubakar said that within the period the exercise was on, the zone witnessed no case of kidnapping, youths’ restiveness and armed robberies that were usually associated with ember months, stressing there was easy flow of traffic, especially on the Onitsha Niger bridge axis.

He commended the soldiers and other officials who made the feat possible, urging them to remain committed to ensuring peace, focus and resilience in the discharge of their responsibilities.

He said that the army would remain committed to improving the welfare of soldiers. According to him, the Chief of Army Staff had commenced action towards making life better for them.

Vía Uzomedia http://ift.tt/2kIRBCM